Netherlands deliver attacking masterclass in seven-nil win over Greece

Tijjani Reijnders was the standout performer, completing a hat-trick inside the opening 33 minutes as the hosts established an overwhelming advantage before the interval.

Crysencio Summerville set the tone by breaking the deadlock in the sixth minute with a right-footed effort from inside the box, before Reijnders struck in the 12th minute.

The midfielder doubled his tally six minutes later and completed his treble in the 33rd minute, with Joey Veerman and Donyell Malen among those providing assists.

Jurrien Timber extended the advantage to five goals in the 40th minute, timing his movement into the penalty area to perfection.

"The first half was amazing, so I have to congratulate the players. But it's just one game," Xavi said after the game. "We need to continue like this, but this is the way. The players are training so hard. I'm very proud of them."

Netherlands' fluid attacking combinations and clever positional rotations repeatedly exposed Greece's defensive weaknesses, leaving the visitors trailing 5-0 at half-time.

The hosts continued their dominance after the restart, although the pace of the contest became more controlled. Timber grabbed his second of the evening in the 59th minute, converting from close range following sustained pressure.

Two minutes later, Malen put the finishing touches on the rout with Netherlands' seventh goal, capping an impressive individual contribution that also included two first-half assists.

Operating in a 4-3-3 formation, Netherlands consistently exploited the wide areas and used third-man runs to penetrate Greece's defensive structure.

Their midfield movement and attacking variety made them difficult to contain, while the statistical indicators, including shots and expected goals, underlined their superiority.

Denzel Dumfries also contributed an assist after the break as the goals were shared across several attacking contributors. 

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